Institute To Support Corps Members With Outstanding Agric Proposals

The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), has disclosed that corps members who submit promising proposals at the end of their service year would have the opportunity to secure two million naira support.

Professor Lateef Sanni, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), has disclosed that corps members who submit promising proposals at the end of their service year would have the opportunity to secure two million naira support.

While making the promise at the closing ceremony of the five-day training program organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the NSPRI in Ilorin, he stated that the main objective of the program was to promote self-reliance, self-employment, and enhance productivity among the youth.

Sanni further explained that the institute had already provided N2 million as startup seed money to three corps members from Kwara and Oyo states after verifying their business proposals following their service year

Fifty selected serving corps members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kwara State, who are graduates from various academic disciplines, had undergone training on post-harvest management of agricultural commodities and value-addition techniques for agricultural products such as fish, roots and tubers, grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as packaging.

.He also noted that the training had been conducted in various states including Kwara, Oyo, Delta, Rivers, and Lagos, and had now returned to Kwara State.

He highlighted that this was the ninth training in the series of Capacity Building of corps members on Value Addition and Post-harvest Management of Agricultural crops conducted by the institute.

“NSPRI is the only research institute with the mandate to research into post-harvest management of agricultural crops produced and consumed in the country, in order to reduce post-harvest losses, maintain quality, and ensure food safety and security,” he added.

The NSPRI expressed appreciation to the NYSC State Coordinator, Mr Olu Onifade, for supporting the program and releasing corps members to participate in the training.

Also, at the ceremony, Alhaji Hassan Mohammed, the Director of Agric Services at the Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture, encouraged the corps members to think big and start small. He urged them to become small-scale entrepreneurs and consider exporting their products to other African countries, particularly with the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

On his part, the NYSC State Director, Olu Onifade, emphasized that the era of white-collar jobs should be abandoned in favour of a skill-driven economy.

He assured the corps members that the agency places great importance on youth development and urged them to have confidence in their abilities.

Lucy/ Agro Nigeria